Saved
by Temporal Austenite
Summary: A fix-it fic for River and the Doctor. Multi-Chapter, featuring Amy and Rory. AU.
1. Chapter 1

_I don't know how to introduce this fic; it's a River/12 fic DON'T GO PLEASE STAY I REALIZE THAT IT'S NOT SOMETHING PEOPLE DO. But I did. So please read it, and thank you._

_Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and Steven Moffat! This is not for personal gain!_

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><p>She woke up slowly and immediately realized where she was, and who was standing a few feet away from her, slowly backing up to lean against a familiar stanchion. She didn't recognize him from her diary and the pictures she had forced him to draw, but it was him. There was no other way to see it. As she watched him back away, memories kept flooding past.<p>

"Doctor," River stared at him, "I died."

"You've done that before. It's no big deal for you."

"No, I _died_. You know I died. You've known. You watched me die." She stared at him, "I'm dead."

"No, you're not." He grinned slightly, but he looked war torn.

"Yes, I am. I'm dead."

"Then I can talk to the dead. Would have been nice to know that before. Less lonely." He smiled sadly at her, then brightened up again, "Bit more interesting too. Imagine me being able to talk to the dead—"

"Shut up." She glared at him, and then rolled her eyes, "You're staring at your foot."

"New body." He commented, looking at his hands, "It's interesting. Look at how—"

She cut him off, her voice somewhere between scared, hopeful and annoyed; "You didn't."

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about." He grinned, attempting to surreptitiously see what color his hair was.

"It's not ginger." She sighed. "We need to talk about the fact that I died."

"I'm never ginger." He muttered, and then continued dismissively, "You've had a bit of practice. It's no big deal."

"Excuse me?"

"This is the third time you've died. Granted, I've got seven times on you. Do you have some tea?"

"Sweetie, I just came out of a computer." She rolled her eyes.

"And didn't bring tea? That wasn't thoughtful in the least." He coughed, "Regeneration is rather annoying, isn't it? But you seem to handle it well. That's not fair."

"Doctor!" She laughed, "I'm being serious."

"So am I. How do you do that? Is it because you're female? Amy always said it was because you're female. Does she know this me?"

"I don't know, sweetie." She frowned at him, "But you haven't seen her in forever anyway. Stop avoiding the question."

"You didn't ask a question. You made a statement."

"You're still avoiding it."

"I am not, I'm delaying it. Until we're both feeling better, I promise."

"I feel fine except for the fact that I just died." She shot back.

"So did I, it's nothing special. We do it all the time."

She rolled her eyes, "Didn't I already tell you to shut up?"

"See, that's a question. One that I'm avoiding."

"I hate you."

"You don't."

"I can't believe that you did that." She frowned, and then struggled in her seat, "Help me out of these. Why did I have to get trapped into this thing again?"

He waved her question off as he straightened up, "When I get my strength back."

"What in the world did you do?" She asked, twisting to start freeing herself from the chair.

"I told you, I died."

"Do I have to handcuff you again?"

"You can't. You just came out of a computer. You don't have them."

"I'm tied to a chair, at any rate."

He nodded, "I'm a bit tired myself."

"Tied, not tired." She frowned, fiddling with the wires, "What happened to you?"

"Can't tell you. Spoilers."

"Sweetie, I died. You can tell me, I've seen it all."

"You have haven't you? Then read your diary."

"When you get me out of this, I will slap you."

"Maybe I shouldn't let you out after all." He sighed and managed to walk towards her only to slide down next to the chair. She rolled her eyes when he fell asleep. A few minutes later he said, "Hi. Have I seen you before?"

"Don't be dumb."

"I'm not. Why are you tied up?" He looked up at her, "Were we doing anything?"

"I am going to slap some sense into you."

"And I tied you up because of this?"

She sighed in exasperation, "No. I'm tied up because we were about to do something kinky and you really wanted too."

The alarm in his eyes grew; "Who are you again?"

"You know who I am. You have to know who I am." She stared at him in realization, "Oh no. Your regeneration."

"My re-what?"

"Help me out of this."

"I'm tired." He yawned, and then asked, "What were we doing exactly?"

"Not much." She frowned, and then continued," Life and death situations is our usual. Death this time."

"Really?" He frowned. "We're dead? I don't understand."

"I really hate you."

"I really hope not. You're the only person here. And also you're really pretty." He smiled hopefully at her.

"Oh god, please tell me that you're more pompous than this."

"What? Don't you know me? Weren't we supposed to be doing something kinky just now?" He pulled himself up to help her get untangled from the wires in the chair. "You mentioned something about something kinky."

"I was joking."

"Do you do that a lot?"

"Not anymore. Just get me out of this."

"What do I do?" he asked, worried, "Do I just pull the wires out?"

"No, sweetie. Help me get my hair free of this, and then we have to find a big blue box."

"A big blue box?" He asked as he gently attempted to free her frazzled curls.

"Yes. And then we need to go see…someone."

"I hope you know what you're talking about, because I don't."

"Do you know what your name is?"

He smiled, "Don't you know?"

"Oh, sweetie." She stood up and shook her hair out, "Let's go. I don't think that we have that long."

"Until what?"

"We get eaten alive like we're fried chicken."

"I'm afraid I still don't know what you're going on about."

"_Please_ tell me you're more pompous than this."

"I'm sorry, I don't know."

"Why can't you ever regenerate properly? Ever story you've ever told me, you can't. You just don't. Ever." She poked him in the chest angrily, "What's wrong with you?"

"What are you talking about?"

She bit her lip, "Spoilers. Let's get you home."

"Home?" he perked up, "Where's that?"

"_A_ home, not yours. I'm sorry, but you need to be seen by someone before I can let you rest."

"Oh."

After taking his sonic screwdriver from his coat pocket, she began to hand it over to him, "I don't know how well this will fit," She warned.

He took the coat from her to put it on, "It's okay. Bit tight."

"It is not. You're wearing it wrong. Let me help you out." She pulled his head out of the sleeve and helped him put his arms into the sleeves, even though he was uncooperative. And when he remembered himself, he would feel better. Or at least be sorry for being so difficult. Well. He'd _say_ sorry.

"Come on. We need to get to the TARDIS." She grabbed his arm and dragged him along with her towards the doorway. "Where is it? You would have parked it…ah-ha!"

"Parked what?"

"I keep forgetting that you don't remember." She sighed.

"That's a bit of a pickle-y situation isn't it? Ooh, I like that word. Pickle-y. That's a good word."

"Right. Look, I need you to close your eyes and trust me. That's all, I promise." She sighed, and held out her hands. "Trust me?"

"Oddly enough, yes." He took one of her hands, and closed his eyes.

"Then I'm sorry." Before he could open his eyes, she knocked him out.

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><p><em>I hope you like this and please tell me what you thought!<em>


	2. Chapter 2

_This chapter is very Pond-Family Centric! And it continues to break what I fixed. The tone is also slightly different in this chapter, so I hope you like it!_

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><p>"Dad?" She called him softly as she stepped out into the garden.<p>

He was there in a second anyway.

"River! How are—" He hesitated, then continued, "you?"

"You've been crying." River raised her hand to his face, "Why?"

"Just got some sad news."

"What?"

"Well." He paused, "I can't tell you. Spoilers?"

"Did he tell you I was dead?"

Rory froze, "What?"

"Was it about the Library and me being dead? Inside a computer? Never to come back?"

"Yes." Amy said from behind Rory, "Hello River."

"You two have to help me."

"You're _alive_?" Rory stared at her as if he had just seen her for the first time.

"Yes. But that's not why I need you to help me."

"Where is he?" Amy asked, peeking around her daughter, "What happened?"

"I had to knock him out. Dad, can you help me carry him in?" She gestured inside, "Please?"

"Of course." He walked into the TARDIS after her, and Amy watched as they carried the Doctor out of the TARDIS.

"That's not the Doctor."

"Yes it is." River grunted, "I'll explain while Dad's checking him. I don't know what happened to him, but I need a drink."

"Okay. Wine?" Amy opened the back door to let them in, and followed them to the couch, where the Doctor was laid down.

"No, just tea."

"More for me. Tell me what's wrong with him when you're done, okay? I'll be in the kitchen." Amy nodded to Rory and kissed her daughter's forehead before leaving the room.

"What happened to him?" Rory asked, as Amy closed the kitchen door.

"He regenerated."

"We saw you regenerate—you were fine. Better than this. I mean, you were walking and talking, at least."

"And killing," She commented lightly.

"Much better than him at any rate," Rory sighed, and then began checking the Doctor for any signs that he was physically injured. "Why don't you go sit with your mother, and I'll come talk to you about his condition in a few minutes?"

"Okay." She walked away, feeling herself shake a little, and then paused in the doorway, "It's just—he was _polite_. I'm worried."

"I'll do my best." Rory promised, attempting to be both professional and fatherly at the same time."

Her voice was oddly small and quiet. "Okay."

"River!" Amy called, "Let your father work." River turned back in time to see her mother smirk, "God, sweetie, I thought we got to skip this phase. Come in here and let me make your lunch."

"Mom!" River moaned as she came into the kitchen.

Amy grinned, and placed a roll in front of River. "We were planning on having this for dinner, but I figure pizza will do. You need to get something proper into you." She laughed, "I'm such a _mom_! I'll get you some chicken and mashed potatoes, but they'll have to cook. I'll make up a plate and refrigerate it for the Doctor."

"Kay. Thanks."

"How have you been?" Amy pulled out a bag of potatoes and handed one potato and a knife to River, indicating she should start peeling. Amy grabbed the chicken breasts out of the refrigerator and started to prepare it.

"Trapped in a computer."

"Why?" Amy asked as she turned the oven on, and placed the chicken on a pan, adding some seasoning.

"It was him or me. You know my choice."

"I know."

"And now you know his choice."

"River, I always knew his choice." Amy laughed, putting the chicken in to cook, and sitting down with her daughter to cut the peeled potatoes. They'd done about ten before Amy stood up suddenly, "Oh! I forgot! He left something here, and now that you're here, it's not ours anymore. Honestly, I told him that if you weren't here, it was his, but since you are here, we don't need to worry about it anymore. Besides, I have a feeling you'll need it."

"What is it?" River put down her knife and the final potato, "I can go get it."

Amy dragged the pot over to the tap and poured in just enough to boil the potatoes in. "No, you just stay here and watch the potatoes. They ought not to start boiling, but if they do, turn it down until I get back so they don't boil over." She turned on the stove top and placed the pot down.

"Mom, I've made mashed potatoes before!" River protested.

"I'm sure." Amy smiled and kissed her forehead.

River heard her parents whispering in the next room, but couldn't understand anything but their tone. She nibbled at her roll a bit as she listened to their voices, but didn't pay much attention to what it meant. When her mother returned, River was sleeping with her head on the counter.

Rory walked in as Amy was pulling out the chicken, "Want me to wake her up?"

"Needs to cool for a bit. How is he?"

"Nothing is physically wrong with him. Once she's eaten, I think we're going to have to go into the TARDIS and its med bay to look at his brain and possible internal injuries. But from what I understand of time lord regeneration, there's nothing physically wrong with him. His entire body—every single cell changed from the time of his death. I can't even tell what happened to cause his death." Rory sighed, then pulled the potatoes off of the stove and started mashing them.

"Thank you sweetie." Amy kissed his cheek, and placed the chicken on a plate. "Don't place too much on her plate; I don't want her to over eat."

Rory nodded and spooned a few scoops on to the plate, and then a few onto another plate that Amy had placed aside—"For him?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, even if he has a concussion, he's got to have something in him. He never eats properly."

"He doesn't, does he?" Rory shook his head. "You know, at some points, it's like we're both their parents, not just hers."

"Don't remind me!" Amy laughed, "Who would have thought it—me his mother in law."

"I'm his father in law." Rory shook his head, the placed the plate down in front of River, "River? River, wake up."

River bolted awake, and reached for a gun she didn't have on her. "Wha-Dad?"

"Yes, Wha-dad." Rory chuckled, and then pushed the plate towards her.

"And this too," Amy reached over and placed River's diary next to her.

"How'd he get this?"

"Eat, and then we'll talk." In a motherly manner, Amelia Williams crossed her arms and sat down across from her daughter, "Come on, when was the last time you had a proper home cooked meal?"

"Not since the last time I came to visit you, to tell you I was going to the library. He did take me to see the singing towers though, and brought a picnic lunch."

"At dinner time?"

"He never has any luck with timing, mum."

"Well, eat this, and I'll go check on him." Rory said, "He should still be out. Although, why is there a bruise on his face?"

"I had to knock him out." River muttered, "Sorry."

"No, don't worry. I've punched him a few times too."

River smiled slightly, attempting to laugh. Her parents gave her a worried look, and eventually she just began eating. It wasn't the best meal ever, but it tasted nice. Wholesome. Like home.

"So," River started, "how was he when you last saw him?"

"He came to tell use you were dead." Rory said, "So, not good."

"Injured?"

"No. He was fine, but…distraught." Amy sighed, "He didn't want to tell us. Well. He did. But not properly. He just handed us your book and said, 'Sorry' before walking away. So I threw a pot at him."

"Mum!"

"It missed!" She laughed, and then continued, "So he sat down, told us everything. He cried. I've never seen him cry properly before, but then he did. We all cried."

"Mum—"

"Don't mum me. Don't you _dare_. It's just, I want you to know, even if you're gone and dead, even if you just plain gone, you are missed. Always. We miss you. And he felt horrible, not telling you about what would happen to you. Sweetie, you need to know you are loved, and you need to remember it."

River took her mother's hand and gave it a squeeze, "Always."

"And then he left. Handed us the book—he wouldn't take it back—and left."

"You didn't hear from him again?"

"Nothing. And it was only a few days ago. I think he thought we ought to know. He'd had a peak through your diary and decided we weren't ever going to see you again. And now he's pulled this."

"Then why were you crying?"

"Found your note on the wine bottle."

"It wasn't sad."

"Usually we can go through the day and not think about the fact that we'll know you're dead. But your note goodbye—" Amy smiled, "We kinda lost it."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Rory smiled, "You're here now."

"Hello?" The Doctor's voice called from the living room, where a loud 'thud' indicated he had fallen off the couch.

River sighed, "In here. Are you hungry?"

The Doctor appeared in the doorway, disheveled, "Where are we?"

"At Amy and Rory's house."

"I'm sorry, I don't remember you." He smiled and shook their hands.

Amy leaned forward and checked his temperature, "Nope, no fever. You're right, this is terrible."

"What is?" The Doctor reached up and felt his forehead, worried.

"He's being so nice." Rory stared at him, and then shook his head, "Amy, we should probably feed him."

"Oh, right! You, sit down." Amy nodded to a chair and put his food in the microwave to reheat it, "And tell us what you know. Anything that comes to mind."

"Anything?"

"Yes, anything."

Rory rolled his eyes, "Amy, this isn't the proper way to do this."

The Doctor glanced between the two of them hesitantly, but said, "I don't like pears?"

"Nope, you've hated them for ages." Amy replied happily.

"Or apples."

"You were the biggest bother about that."

"You three are my friends."

"Do you know that or are you just guessing?" Rory crossed his arms.

"Guessing. But you're a nurse." He turned to Rory, almost sliding off of his chair.

Rory smiled slightly, "Doctor, actually."

"I was certain you were a nurse. Sorry."

"No, that's a start. Last time you saw me I was a nurse."

"And you're roman."

Rory glanced at his wife and daughter, who both hid smiles, "Kinda, yeah."

"Rory the Roman!" The Doctor announced proudly, "You're Rory the Roman."

"Yeah."

"And you're Amy. You remember things?"

Amy glanced over at River and waited until her daughter nodded, "Yes."

"So what's my name?"

The Ponds froze and turned their full attention to their daughter, awaiting her next move, "John." River said, guardedly, "John is what you have people call you. You have to remember your name. But we call you the Doctor."

"Two doctors in the same house!"

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><p>"I feel like he's looking for a treat." Amy muttered when they set him up in the bathroom to wash up a bit.<p>

"What, like 'good boy, have a bone?'" Rory replied.

"Half tempted to give him a piece of chocolate for everything he remembers." River sighed.

"A bowtie?" His head popped out of the bathroom door, "I wear a bowtie?"

"Not if you don't want to, sweetie," River sighed, "Honestly, that man…"

"Why was I wearing one in the first place?"

"Why do you think?" River rolled her eyes.

He looked her over, and then looked in a mirror at his bowtie, "Costume party?"

"Oh, shut up you. I'm going to go get changed." River rolled her eyes, "Do I still have clothes down the hall?"

"Of course." Amy smiled, "A few of them are even clean."

"Thanks."

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><p><em>Once again, thank you so much for reading this story. It's been a brain child of mine for the past four months, and taken two months to write and perfect, so thank you for giving it a chance! Please drop a review!<em>


	3. Chapter 3

_One more chapter after this! Thank you for reading this story!_

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><p>Slowly, he was recovering. He would talk for hours about people he knew, must have known, and of the TARDIS, where River had started sleeping to keep him in the house. After he told them he remembered it, they allowed him to spend hours inside of it during the day. Amy made sure he was inside at certain times for meals and sleep, but mostly he was allowed to run free. And he ran to the TARDIS.<p>

River sighed into her mother's shoulder after they had sent him to bed. Rory was currently reading him a bedtime story—the Doctor had insisted. "If you're going to treat me like a two year old," he had grumbled, "do it properly."

"I don't know how much more I can take, mum." River sighed down into the seat next to her mother, the circles under her eyes somehow darker in the dim light.

"You don't have to put up with the three am wake up calls. We give him a stack of books to read until six, and then we get you up." Amy smiled, brushing her daughter's curls out of her face.

"You know what I mean."

"Of course I know. But you'll be alright. Do you know why? Because you are your father's daughter." Amy hugged her tightly, "And you can do anything."

River laughed weakly, "I know."

Amy kissed her forehead, "Okay then." She tightened her hug when a sudden sob shook River's body.

"He doesn't know me, mum, or you or dad. And if this is really him…"

Amy attempted to comfort her, "I know, sweetheart."

"I think I just need a break. Or to see _him_ again. But I can't, can I? Timelines and spoilers."

"Go ahead. We can handle him. I need to go run Rory the Encyclopedia Britannica anyway."

River smiled, "Have I ever told you how amazing you are?"

Amy winked, "River, don't you think I already know? But take the TARDIS, you know what the vortex manipulator does to your hair."

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><p>"But it's my TARDIS! River, how did you get my TARDIS? Did I stop regenerating? Did you finally kill me properly?"<p>

"Did I trap you at my mother's house for a quick shopping trip?" She rolled her eyes.

"River! That means they're feeding me and sending me to bed and reading me bedtime stories!"

"Poor you." River picked up a skirt, "This, you think?"

"Yes, it's lovely." He replied, taking the skirt over his arm, "You trapped me at your parents? River, how could you?"

"They were worried. Besides, I need to get a few more clothes for the guest room there."

"But I took you clothes shopping for that last week!"

"Sweetie, I need shoes."

"Two days ago!" He protested, "And it was five pairs. We spent a whole night picking out shoes!"

River shrugged, "Make-up."

"You only wear the lipstick!"

She laughed, "I do _not_."

"You wear more than just the lipstick? What else is there to wear?" He asked, following her around the racks.

"Honey, do you really want a lesson in the intricacies of make-up right now?"

"No! It's just—why your parents?"

"Because no one else would take you." She sighed, looking inside a pair of high heels. "Wrong size, but mum will like them. Hold these too, will you?"

"River!" He snapped as he took them from her.

"I had a bad day, and I needed a break. You were wandering around muttering and I just couldn't take it anymore!" She bit her tongue and turned back to the shoe rack.

He finally looked away from her. "Sorry. I try to keep that down."

"I know. But it was bad." She asked, holding up a pair of bejeweled pumps, "What about these?"

He took them from her as well, "Why aren't you mad? Usually you get mad."

"Because it's my fault. You did something for me and now it's messed everything up. I was fine, but you thought I wasn't and…It's all gone wrong."

"It'll get better."

"I hope so." She replied, returning to the shirt rack.

"Would it help if I promised?"

"Not really."

"Thought I'd give it a try." He answered, following her around the rack.

"Rule number one, sweetie." She reminded him as she pulled out a lacey shirt, "Think this is too frilly for shooting?"

"Rule number two, honey." He replied.

"That has nothing to do with the shirt."

"Rule number one, I always lie. Rule number two, so do you."

"That's a no?" She sighed, putting the shirt back.

"What aren't you telling me, River?"

"Spoilers."

He attempted to take her hand, but she moved it away. "You're hurting."

She sighed, closed her eyes, and finally responded, "So are you. And don't try to deny it. But you'll tell me spoilers, just like I told you."

He frowned, "Still. Anything I can do?"

She smiled sadly, "Buy me those knee high leather boots?"

"I just bought you some!" He looked at her exasperated, "How many boots does one girl need?"

She winked, "Oh, but those have lovely ribbon laces."

"The other ones had nanofiber."

"They wore out."

"How did you wear nanofiber out?" He stared at her in admiration, "It's almost impossible, that's why you wanted them!"

"Spoilers." She winked.

"So what are you going to do now?" He asked, leaning against a mirror, which promptly fell off the wall.

"Pay for the clothes," She sighed, "Show them to mum, and spend a night drinking while you get some proper night's rest."

"Is that a hen's night?"

"No, sweetie, dad will be there." She lead him to a register.

"Where am I?"

"What part of 'proper night's rest' do you obviously not understand?" She laughed as he handed the clerk a random card to pay for the purchase.

"River, I don't _sleep_." He rolled his eyes as they grabbed the bags.

"You will." She winked, "Why, what have _you_ got planned for afterwards?"

"Well I don't know if you've ever been to the mass graves of the Tculainoies on the planet Gede…"

"I have. There was an excavation there once."

They stopped outside of the doors of the TARIDS River was using, "Well, about two miles south of where you were excavating is the tomb of one of their greatest Dictators—"

"Emperors."

"You say archeologist, I say grave robber," He replied, then continued, "But there is said to be the key to deciphering their language in there."

"What's the catch?"

"It's supposed to be guarded by a monster none can imagine."

"Sounds dangerous."

"You're probably right."

"I'll meet you there," She grinned, "Co-ordinates?"

"Go to your mum's house, and I'll meet you a few blocks away."

"Have me sneak out? Sweetie, I thought you were done with that stage."

"When have we ever been done with that stage?" He winked with a grin. "When are you supposed to be there?"

She gave him a kiss and whispered the co-ordinates into his ear. "See you soon."

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><p>"You are not sneaking out, Melody Pond." Rory hissed, glancing at the closed door to the Doctor's room.<p>

"She may not be, but River Song is." His daughter snapped back, just as quietly. "Get out of my way."

"I will not."

"I break out of prisons on a regular basis, daddy dearest. Don't you think I can get out of a 21st century house?"

"No fighting!" Amy whispered through the door, "I almost have him down!"

River crossed her arms and stared at her father, "Move."

"I will not." He widened his stance, put his shoulders back and returned her glare.

River shook her head, "Don't be stupid."

"I am not. You are staying in this house, young lady." He made sure to keep his voice level.

"I'm older than you. You can't tell me what to do."

"River, I don't even know if you'll be back."

"I'll be fine. He'll be with me."

"He was with you in the library."

River turned her head sharply, as though she had been slapped. "That's not fair."

"It's true."

"Shut _up_." She said with an amount of venom she usually saved for the Doctor, "Don't act like you have _anywhere_ to stand."

"What do you mean?"

"How many times have you died for mom?"

"That is different."

"How? How is it any different from me and him? You do what you have to for the people you love. Let me leave."

"I don't want to lose you."

"I'll be fine."

"How do you know?"

They stood in combat stance for another minute before the sound of the TARDIS landing echoed outside. River took the second that her father broke her gaze to race past him down the hall and out the front door.

Once she was outside, glanced up at the window to see him watching her hopelessly, as if he had lost her forever.

He smiled as she entered the TARDIS, "Hello honey. Did I land too close?"

"No. If you had been any further away, Rory would have chased me out."

"Is he mad at me today? Should I not come in for tea when I drop you off?"

"Probably best not to."

"That bad?"

"Worse."

"What did I do?"

"Oh sweetie. Spoilers." She winked and kissed him on the cheek. "Now, about this buried secret and the monster?"

"Not sure, I've only read what you wrote about it."

"Oh, I must have left something good out of those stories."

"That's what I like to hear." He grinned and pulled the lever down as they took off.

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><p><em>Thank you for reading this again! Please review!<em>


	4. Chapter 4

_Final chapter! Thank you for reading this story everyone, thank you to all the reviewers and story alerters, and just everyone who has anything to do with it. I hope you like it, and please tell me what you think when you've finished._

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><p>She practically fell out of the TARDIS laughing, holding on to his hand. "A dragon? You have got to give me a break."<p>

"I can't believe you left out the dragon! No, wait, I can't believe that you left out the fact that we were almost _eaten_ by it."

"Because I don't want to embarrass you! I can't believe you thought that pretending you were a dentist sent by the emperor it was guarding would _work_! I don't care if you speak dragon, what you said to it was, 'I am a man who wants to take your teeth from you.'"

"Like you had a better plan!" He shot back, but grumbled, "I didn't mean for it to translate that directly."

She reached her arms around his neck and kissed him slowly, "Thank you sweetie."

"Don't worry about it." He kissed her back, "But I've got to go now."

River finally looked around, "Where are we?" She demanded, "What are you talking about?"

He took a step backwards into the TARDIS, "I promised someone that you'd be here for them in about a minute. Alone."

"So that's why you were looking at your psychic paper! Who is it?" She poked him, and then pulled him forward again.

"Spoilers." He grinned, "If I promise you that it'll be okay now, what will you say?"

"That that's something grown-ups tell children when they lie to them."

"Always your mother's daughter." He smiled, then kissed her one more time, "Good bye River." He placed his hand softly on her cheek to stare into her eyes.0

"I hate you." She whispered.

"No, you don't." He replied, taking a step back and quickly closing, then locking the TARDIS door.

She stepped away from the TARDIS as it disappeared, her heart breaking slowly, falling into millions of little pieces.

Again.

After a minute, she sat down on the blue grass—literally blue grass. It was a bit lighter than the sky, but somehow brighter as well. It was also the exact color of the TARDIS; she wondered if he knew that. She broke one leaf and held it in her palm, and silently watched as a breeze lifted it away from her skin and the blade of grass drifted away from her, and back into the field, lost and unidentifiable once again.

She sat there a while longer, lost and confused as to why he would just leave her here alone, sure he had a reason but unsure of what it was.

And then she heard the TARDIS again, landing a few feet away from her. She sat and watched until the door slowly opened and the Doctor—not her Doctor, not the one who had just left, but the one she had left days ago—poked his head out.

"Honey, I'm home."

"And what sort of time do you call this?" She replied cautiously, "Sweetie. When are you?"

"I just left your parents. That was awful of you, by the way. She gave me peppermint tea, River. _Peppermint_. Just to get me to settle down."

"Poor you."

"And when that didn't work, they brought out the TARDIS's copy of the Oxford English Dictionary. But I just couldn't sleep I heard the TARDIS landing and I knew it meant something. I mean, something beyond you running away."

"I wasn't running away."

"Right. You were just calmly racing away from all of your problems to go see me." He was standing over her now, the polite distance he had kept earlier gone.

"Shut up. How did you get here?"

"I remembered. Once your parents finally left me alone, I just kept hearing the TARDIS landing in my head. And everything came back."

"Everything?"

"Well, you could test me on it."

She laughed, "Sweetie, there isn't enough time in the world to test to see if you remember _everything_."

"Maybe not the world. But the universe, River Song, has all the time we'll ever need."

She grinned, and then paused, curiosity getting the best of her. "Sweetie, what happened to you? Why did you regenerate?"

He looked at her confused. "You were there. I had thought—Ah. I see. Spoilers, River Song."

"You die, and decide to tell me spoilers?"

"I told you spoilers about when you would die."

"I hate you."

"No, River Song, you don't." He reached a hand out to her, and helped her up. "And even if you did, I don't think I would care."

"What are you going on about?"

"River Song, I love you no matter. Last body, this body. Each body." Even the endearing awkwardness of before was gone, she decided, as he slowly lifted her up.

Perhaps she could get used to him, she thought, until he accidently pulled too much and sent her flying up into him. They both fell back onto the grass.

"Oh you." She laughed, "Come here."

He winked and pulled her close, "Right here."

"Always?"

"Forever."

"I'll hold you to that."

"I expect you to." He laughed as she dodged his kiss, "But, River, we've got one more promise to keep."

* * *

><p>Amy stood in front of them, her arms crossed, "Where have you two been?"<p>

"Well, I got attacked by a dragon and then abandoned on a strange planet with no transportation."

"You were not abandoned." The Doctor hissed.

"You abandoned her?" Amy asked, eyes wide and mouth open. "A _dragon_?"

"I did not—River, you're not helping!"

She laughed, and kissed him on his cheek. "Sweetie, do I ever?"

"Shut up."

"Make me."

"No flirting!" Rory ordered, "You two are going to stay right here for tonight."

"River can have her room back," The Doctor offered, "I'll go stay in the TARDIS."

"I said no leaving."

"I'm not going to go anywhere without River tonight, dad."

"Don't call me dad." He muttered. "But fine. I best not hear that TARDIS leaving tonight though, or next time _I'll_ stay in it."

"Okay daddy." River kissed him on the cheek. "I'll go to my room, okay? See you later. Night mum." She gave Amy a hug and sauntered up the stairs.

"I'm guessing I can't do the same thing." He said, "So I'll just say good night and go wait until morning in the TARDIS."

"No fast forwarding." Rory warned.

"I said I wasn't going to leave here without her, didn't I?" He replied evenly. "Good night, Amy and Rory. Sleep well."

Amy laughed and hugged him, "It's good to have you back."

"Good to be back." He replied into her hair. "Good night Rory."

"Good night, Doctor."

* * *

><p>He heard the TARDIS door open a few minutes after midnight, "Good morning, River," He grinned, "How did you get out?"<p>

"They didn't leave a guard dog outside my window this time." She winked as she closed the TARDIS door.

"That's a three story drop, River."

"Only if you don't knot the sheets together, sweetie." She smiled as she sashayed over to him. "Get enough sleep this past week?"

"More than I get in a century. I should be good for at least a few more decades."

They heard the screen door of the home outside slam against the side of the house.

River raced to the door, "See you at 7:00AM!" She called to her mother's laughter and her father's disapproval.

"Right then, River Song, what do you want to do?"

She grinned and replied, "Everything."

* * *

><p><em>I want to thank everyone who has read this to the highest degree, and the wonderful people who reviewed it to an even higher, more spectacular plane of gratitude. <em>


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